McGunegle | Photo via Amarillo City Council Livestream
Life coach Jeffrey McGunegle became the third person to file for mayor of Amarillo today, according to documents filed with city hall.
McGunegle's filing follows comments he made at a city council meeting last month, where he stated that he sees "a standard of mediocrity" instead of "a standard of excellence" in Amarillo.
McGunegle joins Councilwoman Freda Powell and professional CDL driver Tonya Winston in the race. Out of the three candidates who have filed, McGunegle has resided in Amarillo for the shortest amount of time, having only lived in the city for 2 years and 1 month according to his ballot application. McGunegle noted when addressing city council last month that he moved from “Charlotte North Carolina” and that he felt he “had a calling to come here.”
It appears that McGunegle is also a recently registered voter, with state records listing the effective date of his registration beginning on February 17th of this year.
While McGunegle, Powell, and Winston are the only candidates to have filed to run for mayor as of writing, there are several other potential candidates we are watching for. Businessman Alex Fairly, who successfully sued the city to halt an illegal issuance of tax anticipation notes last year, has publicly stated he is considering a run for the office. Also considering a run for the office is retired FBI agent and former state senate candidate Tim Reid. Councilman Cole Stanley, who has stated he would support Fairly running for mayor, has indicated he will run for mayor if Fairly does not run. Daniel Johnson has also announced his intention to run but has not yet filed.
For those interested in running for mayor, the deadline to file for a place on the ballot is February 17th at 5:00 pm. Election Day is May 6th. For the latest updates on the May 6th local elections, be sure to regularly check AmarilloPioneer.com.